Reacting on Saturday to a viral video where two men were seen wrestling with an armed officer, Adejobi said “even if a policeman on (sic) uniform slaps a civilian, the civilian has no right to retaliate”.
The Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has again come under heavy criticism over his tweet on how civilians should react to assault by officers.
Reacting on Saturday to a viral video where two men were seen wrestling with an armed officer, Adejobi said “even if a policeman on (sic) uniform slaps a civilian, the civilian has no right to retaliate”.
“More so, if he’s on uniform, it’s an act of disrespect to Nigeria to beat an officer on uniform. The disrespect is not to the policeman but to our nation and it’s a crime as enshrined in our criminal laws.
“So it’s not a case of what the policeman did that led to it, but the reaction of the civilians who actually assaulted the police. If police assault a civilian, you report and actions will be taken to rebuke him, not to take the law into your hands.”
But the tweet did not go down well with Twitter users as they accused him of not respecting the fundamental rights of the Nigerian people.
Femi Falana, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), also called on Adejobi to withdraw his statement.
Falana said according to the Nigerian constitution, every citizen is entitled to the right to the dignity of their person, adding that law enforcement personnel are prohibited from ill-treatment of citizens.
“Civilians are required to respect police officers who are discharging their lawful duties. The penalty for assaulting or slapping a police officer is 3 years’ imprisonment under the Criminal Code,” the statement reads.
“In the same vein, police officers are equally mandated to respect civilians. Indeed, section (2)(b) of the Anti Torture Act, 2017 states that torture is deemed committed when an act by which pain and suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person to punish him for an act he or a third person has committed or suspected of having committed.
“The penalty for assaulting a civilian is 25 years under the Anti Torture Act of 2017. In addition, the victim may sue for monetary compensation under the Anti Torture Act and the Constitution.”
Below are some Twitter reactions:
Police officers are supposed to uphold the law regardless the situation, u don't expect someone to stay calm after being slapped by a uniform officer. People report incompetent officers all the time, but they're barely punished. So u can't really blame civilians who retaliate.
— Daniel Regha (@DanielRegha) September 18, 2022
I beg to disagree Sir. Self defence can take any form. The moment a police man assaults(slaps) a civilian in an unprovoked attack, he disrespects the uniform and the office. He no longer acts in line with the code of professional conduct but in his own capacity.
— Mr G (@MrGeeofficial) September 18, 2022
This analogy is flawed. You saying no matter what a Policeman do or does (as long as he's kitted) that a citizen doesn't have the right to self-defense?
The police force should train the officers well enough to behave in a professional manner (you also need to be in attendance).— Nwoke Chimaobi Alexander Jr. (@alex2j2) September 17, 2022
You just justified police brutality on innocent citizens. This is why your officers have the balls to do as they like. We can't disrespect the uniform but the uniform can disrespect us. No wahala na.
— der Kaiser (@man_like_khris) September 18, 2022
You guys are no different from the tyrants in power, drunken by the power you have and lacking self control for people with a weapon to take another’s life when you should be protecting it. You’ve made yourselves feared more than criminals Sir
— Nnamdi, MD (@Enigma_Gpes) September 18, 2022
You actually lack the requisite skill to manage the media accounts of the Force, respectfully.
— Oníkòyí (@OyelekeQuadir) September 18, 2022
I strongly disagree. There is no provision for you to be a victim under the Nigerian law/constitution or Human Rights charter. You may want to highlight where it is stated that a uniformed personnel has sole right to victimize the citizens while on uniform.
— Mikel-Donovan Ezeilo (@Eion7) September 18, 2022
The question is why would a police officer slaps a civilian? Your salaries are from the taxpayers moneys collected in the form of revenues and you owe the civilian a duty to protect and safe lives and property. Your position is from a place of intimidation and not service.
— Iōánnēs Iōánnēs (@johngaveia) September 17, 2022
So if the individual was not wearing the "uniform" then he or she can be beaten. Okay 👌🏽 This is the reason why you lot act with impunity. Why criminals use your "uniform" to commit unspeakable crimes. We have no right abi? For every action, there is an equal & opposite reaction
— Phoenix (@_phoenix007_) September 18, 2022
Oga u are talking rubbish. What right has the policeman to bully a citizen. U don’t even know as an officer u don’t dare touch ur suspect. So u go slap me and I go look. D court won’t even agree with dis ur take. A lady officer did it and I returned my own back. Mtchewwwww
— *******God knows*********⚪️ (@alfchye) September 17, 2022